1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to medical equipment, and more particularly, to a medical endoscope apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A medical endoscope directly captures images of organs of patients, enabling early diagnosis of lesions and even surgical operations, such as removal of lesions.
For cultivating endoscopy operators, training using simulation devices is preceded, and in use of a real endoscope apparatus, a simulation device is also used. For example, an endoscope apparatus has been commonly used, which includes a master device manipulated by an operator and a slave device that directly drives an insertion tube of the endoscope apparatus according to the operator's manipulation. When using endoscope apparatuses, an insertion time varies with the skill of each operator; and a technique for making an insertion time or an insertion speed uniform is needed for operating on a patient who receives an endoscopic operation. Moreover, an operator directly moves an endoscope by both hands and uses the master device for clear visibility. At this time, to manipulate the master device, a technique for reducing the fatigue of the operator is required.
Such endoscope apparatuses are disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0197082 A1, which published on Aug. 2, 2012 (hereinafter, referred to as a “first document”) and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0242929 A1, which published on Oct. 2, 2008 (hereinafter, referred to as a “second document”). An endoscope apparatus disclosed in the first document discloses an insertion structure of a vibration type in which the operator applies an insertion drive signal using a foot switch, and an insertion tube having a spiral casing advances (or moves forward) while rotating. An endoscope apparatus disclosed in the second document discloses a structure in which application of a drive signal for movement of an endoscope, such as insertion or bending, and control of an auxiliary device, such as cleaning/suction, are performed by one controller.
However, in the endoscope apparatus disclosed in the first document, the insertion tube simultaneously advances and rotates inside an organ, and thus when contacting an inner wall of the organ, the insertion tube may cause twisting of the organ. Moreover, the endoscope apparatus disclosed in the first document uses a knob structure in a general endoscope, resulting in some limitations in solving the operator fatigue issue. The endoscope apparatus disclosed in the second document may control operations of the endoscope and the auxiliary device by one controller, but during advancing of the insertion tube, damage such as twisting of an organ may be caused. In addition, there is no way for the operator to know a reaction force corresponding to the twisting of the organ or a resistance of the inner wall of the organ during insertion of the insertion tube, further increasing a risk of damage to the organ.